Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1887-09-13
Good Manners.

Books on etiquette are staple liter
AIRY wares. Jdst at present there
seems to be more than Usual demand
for them, and some recently published
treaties on manners are having n
great run. This Is gd6d thing, for
it is moral and civilizing process
for people to give thoughtful consid-
GRAFTON to their dues to their fellow
beings, If the study docs no more
than to teach them not 10 perform
knife-swallowing tricks at the table,
it will be beneficial. There is, how
ever, a danger that in learning rules
of conduct without understanding
their underlying philosophy Il slavish
pendantry may be the result, or even
that worst form Of snobbery- which
consist in having lady and gentle
man on the brain, >
Courtesy is simply the due, tetbg-
milton of the fact that there are other
people in the world beside ourselves.
A complimentary. truth, perception
of which is needful, to the mainte5
nance of individuality. is that every,
one has right to do anything one
pleases and does not interfere with
rights or comforts of others. The code
of forms by courtesy rs expressed
varies from age to age and among
different peoples. Its attainment Is
not difficult: the ordinary phases of
civility are the common currency of
society, and no one can afford to be
ignorant of them. The excuse often
made for persons of rude manners
that after all they are good at heart
is a very weak extenuation of their
Offense; for people do not come in
contact with one anotber's hearts,
but with their manners. In fact, for
most of the occasions of life, il is
more important for the general well
fare that peoples manners should be
good than their hearts. Hence it Is
that the lIabitual prOpriety of conduct
which is designated by the phase
good breeding Is better fecdm:,
mendatiOn to cOmpaniOnship than the
possession of some lofty virtues
Politeuess Is q duty that needs to he
practiced like other duties; not un-
stinctive does it acquire its charac-
teristic charm, which has the power
to CONCEAL and atone for many de-
feats- Emerson says: Manners.
form at last n rich varnisb, with
which the routine of life is washed,
and its details adorned
While goodness of heart cannot
compensate in social intercourse for
lack of manners, it is equally true
that really good manners cannot sub
sist unless they come from the heart.
The humility of spirit which alone
can quench the arrogance of self Is.
the fruit of profound conviction of
the fundamental equality of mankind:
Fortunate circumstances or happy
adjustment of capacity TO the condi-
tiOns governing the world Of business
or politics. enable some men to be-
become rich and famous while others
are poor and obscure. 1t occasionally
happens that the lucky ones. have not
the sense to give God the glory. and
disgrace themselves by. their pom
pous airs and ridiculous self-conceit..
The rich privilege of being enabled
to take of the treasures of wisdom
stored in our higher educational i'm
situations sometimes results in turn
ing out upon society broods of foolish
young ducks who, spIashing about in
the puddle of their own self conceit,
imagine themselves sailing upon the
ocean of life. Social relations, be-
ing based upon the natural right of
every one to choose ones own compa-
ny, are full of exclusions. The envy
which these engcnder is as fool
ish and wicked as the pride which
they nourish. Excluding from con-
sideratfon the things that are transit
tory and conventional, the fact is OBJ
vious that the only contest of worth
is the way one does ones duty in the
sphere allotted by Providence. Uul
less this truth regulates behavior, the
vital principle Of good manners will
he Eacki6io.